VIGA takes you to analyze the reasons of unqualified faucet.

Recently, the Nanjing Municipal Quality Supervision Bureau released the results of the 2017 random inspection of the quality of household furnishings, involving faucets, stainless steel sinks, bathroom brackets and paint-free plates. The passing rate of faucets is the lowest at 67.5%, of which the passing rate of faucets priced at RMB 100 and below is only 14.3%.

The unqualified rate of taps under 100 yuan is as high as 85.7%

Prior to this, the Nanjing Municipal Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau entrusted the Nanjing Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute to conduct a random inspection of 40 batches of spout products sold in Nanjing’s production enterprises, circulation areas and e-commerce platforms. After inspection, 27 batches passed and 13 batches failed, with a pass rate of 67.5%.

Nanjing Quality Supervision Bureau has classified the test results based on the product source and price range, and the results are eye-catching.

The 40 batches of faucet products in this random inspection were sampled from physical stores, e-commerce platforms and manufacturing companies, respectively for 20 batches, 19 batches and 1 batch. Among them, the physical store product qualification rate is the lowest, 55%; the e-commerce platform product qualification rate is 78.9%; the production enterprise product qualification rate is 100%.

From the perspective of product prices, the pass rate of products of 400 yuan and above is 100% (failure rate 0%), the pass rate of products between 200 yuan and 400 yuan is 85.7% (failure rate 14.3%), 100 yuan to The pass rate of products between 200 yuan is 62.5% (unqualified rate is 37.5%), and the pass rate of products of 100 yuan and below is 14.3% (unqualified rate is 85.7%).

2 batches of metal contaminants in the water nozzle have exceeded the standard

This sampling inspection was conducted in accordance with GB 18145-2014 “Ceramic Sheet Sealed Water Nozzle” and GB 25501-2010 “Liquid Water Use Efficiency Limit Value and Water Use Efficiency Grade”. Among the 13 batches of unqualified products, the unqualified items mainly involve surface corrosion resistance, water efficiency grade, flow uniformity and materials. Among them, the detection of metal contaminants (lead) in two batches of products exceeded the standard.

In addition, the sampling inspection also referred to the QB / T 1334-2013 “General Specifications for Water Spouts” standard, and the sealing performance of the spouts was frozen at -10 ℃ for 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours Risk monitoring. After inspection, 33 batches of water nozzles meet the standard requirements, and the compliance rate is 82.5%.

Inspection item analysis

① Flow uniformity and water efficiency grade

Flow uniformity and water efficiency grade In the sample of this random inspection, one batch of water efficiency grade failed, the project pass rate was 97.5%; three batches of flow uniformity failed, the project pass rate was 92.5%. These two items are requirements for the energy efficiency of the water nozzle, and the uniformity of the flow rate is the prerequisite for evaluating the water efficiency level of the nozzle. Excessive flow rate of water nozzles will cause waste of water resources, which is not conducive to the implementation of China’s energy conservation and emission reduction policies.

②Surface corrosion resistance

Among the samples of this random inspection, 12 batches of surface corrosion resistance failed, and the pass rate of this project was 70%. Products with unsatisfactory corrosion resistance on the surface are prone to rust during use and do not provide protection, affecting the aesthetics and use of the product. The corrosion resistance of the surface of the water nozzle not only depends on the electroplating process of the enterprise, but also involves various aspects such as material, casting process, polishing and pretreatment.

③ Precipitation of metal contaminants

In the sample of this sampling, 2 batches of metal contaminants were deposited unqualified. The qualified rate of this project was 95%. The precipitation of metal pollutants is related to human health, especially the accumulation of lead in the human body, which can cause long-term health risks and affect the normal physiological functions of the human body. The copper grade of the spout product is low, and the production process of the enterprise does not meet the standard, which is the cause of the excessive precipitation of metal contaminants.

(Unqualified samples of gold contaminant precipitation)

④Material

Among the samples of this random inspection, 7 batches of materials failed, and the pass rate of the project was 82.5%. Some products use zinc alloy, which is a corrosive material that is only 1/3 of the copper alloy. This material is easy to corrode, which not only affects the appearance, but also reduces the strength of the nozzle, and leaks and cracks after a period of use. Compared with copper alloys, zinc alloys are low in price and easy to form. Some companies use zinc alloys to replace copper alloys in order to control costs and reduce processing links, in order to obtain greater profits.

⑤Risk items (temperature test)

This spot test carried out a temperature test, that is, the sealing performance was tested after freezing the water nozzle at -10 ℃ for 4 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours. After testing, among the 40 batches of taps in this random inspection, a total of 7 batches showed leakage under low temperature environment.

At present, there is no corresponding national standard for the temperature resistance value of the faucet. Under normal circumstances, the water nozzle will not be frozen and cracked at a few degrees below zero, but after freezing at low temperature, the water in the spool expands and condenses into ice, which will cause squeezing force on the spool. There will be leakage at the connection. In order to save costs, some production enterprises use poor quality brass as the casting material of the faucet. The metal ductility is greatly reduced, and it is easy to freeze and break at a low temperature.

(Sample with unsatisfactory freeze-thaw sealing performance)

Consumer advice

① Avoid buying zinc alloy faucets

Zinc alloys are highly corrosive materials, and such products should be avoided first when purchasing faucets. It can be distinguished according to the inner cavity of the product. The copper material is generally a casting. The flatness of the inner wall of the product is not very good. The zinc alloy is obtained by injection grinding. The inner wall will be very smooth and the inner wall will have obvious separation lines. Under conditional conditions, the color of the zinc alloy may be white, while the copper alloy may be yellow.

② Avoid buying low-cost faucets

The unqualified rate of faucets under 100 yuan is as high as 85.7%, and it involves more materials, metal contaminants and other items that have a greater impact on consumer health, so it is not recommended to buy.

③ Look at the surface

Visually inspect whether the electroplated surface of the spout is uniformly lustrous, and pay attention to whether there are defects such as peeling, cracking, scorching, exposed bottom, peeling, black spots and obvious pitting. The surface structure of the sprayed surface should be fine, smooth and uniform without defects such as sagging and exposed bottom. No burr and grit feeling on the hand.

④ Look at the thread

The pipe thread of the water nozzle is connected with the connecting hose or pipe. When purchasing, visually inspect the thread surface for dents, broken teeth and other defects, especially pay attention to the effective length of the pipe thread.

⑤ Look at the feel

You can try turning the handle up, down, left, and right. If it feels light and there is no blockage, it means that the valve core is better. The main parts of a good quality spout are made of brass. Pay attention to distinguish products that use alloy materials and engineering plastics, whose quality and service life are relatively poor.

⑥Water saving

The faucet with a bubbler is better for saving water. When buying, you can feel the flow of water by touching it with your hands. The soft water flow and rich foaming (water flow bubble content) indicate that the bubbler is of good quality.